Conversations with the Inspiring Daniella Prospero

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniella Prospero.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Daniella. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in New Jersey but grew up in Port Charlotte, Fl. I have always been involved in the arts. I was a competitive dancer up until high school and then got very involved in my high school’s honor choir, musical theater program, and community theater. I think I performed in 10 different shows during those four years of high school. I originally started college as a vocal performance major but after taking some classes, I began feeling like I wanted to learn more about everything behind the scenes in the music industry as opposed to everything that went into performing. I always knew I was going to be involved in music in some capacity but I hadn’t quite figured out what that meant yet. Then, I took some audio engineering classes and realized that I actually had a pretty good ear for it. My music knowledge definitely came in handy and it felt great to be creatively involved in the process of making music. I received my AS degree in Sound Technology from Valencia College in Orlando, Fl. But I still felt like I had a lot to learn and it was always a personal goal of mine to have a bachelor’s degree. So, I decided to transfer to the University of Colorado. I always wanted to live in Colorado and when I saw that the university had a Recording Arts program, I applied, got accepted, and was living the dream a year later. My last year of college, I was lucky enough to get a job as the audio coordinator at a local church. There, I was able to get some really great experience and I gained a lot of confidence in my skill. This lead me to apply to be the sound engineer at Townhall Arts Center in Littleton. I was very excited to get that job because it felt like I was going home to my roots of being involved in musical theater. I’ve worked 2 seasons at townhall as an engineer and from that opportunity, I have been able to branch out and work as a sound designer at a couple of other theaters in the Denver area.

Has it been a smooth road?
There have definitely been some rough patches along the way. Finding money to pay for college was very difficult. There was a time when I was going to school full time and working three jobs just to make ends meet. But I guess I always tried to stay true to what my goal was and I wasn’t going to let money or exhaustion stop me from reaching it. I’ve also had trouble making myself and my dreams a priority. It’s definitely something I’m still working on but I’ve learned that sometimes you have to make selfish decisions if it’s truly in your best interest. I’ve definitely let what I want/need fall to the wayside so I could make someone else happy but I’ve realized that I deserve more than that from myself.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am an audio engineer and sound designer. I run the soundboard and create sound effects for live shows and musical theater shows in particular. I also record, mix and master songs for local artists. Only 5% of audio engineers are women and I am very proud to be one of those women.

Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
For me, being personable and open to learning has always helped me create great relationships with other people in my field. Be open and positive and someone people want to talk to and get to know.

Contact Info:

• Website: Yellaproductions.com
• Email: daniella.yellaproductions@gmail.com
• Instagram: _dan_yella_

Image Credit:
Ashley Duke

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